


...And Many More

by lissaann



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Birthday Cake, Father-Son Relationship, Future Fic, Gen, Grief/Mourning, post-Episode s5e20 Carry On
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:39:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27950138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lissaann/pseuds/lissaann
Summary: Another year is passing. It's Dean's birthday again.
Relationships: Sam Winchester/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	...And Many More

**Author's Note:**

> I needed to write SOMETHING about all the missing time in the finale. There were just too many questions. Little Dean needed to be taught about big Dean and it needed to be seen! 
> 
> Beta’d by the ever lovely authoressjean, who really helped to clean this up and make it shine. She also suggested the title. You’re the bestest, honey!

It was Dean’s birthday. Sam was always acutely aware when it was January 24th – not only was it Dean’s birthday, but it was also Jessica’s and Sam had never forgotten. It was impossible when the 24th was so important to him. Sam had stopped counting how old Dean would have been and how many years it had been since he had died. Now it was just a remembrance of a life well-lived, cut down too short.

Sam had made it a tradition that he would always bake a cake from scratch, including the buttercream frosting, in memory of Dean. Nothing but the best for his brother. He’d put one candle on the cake and sit there, staring quietly at the flame until the candle burned low, then snuff out the flickering light and have a piece.

This year was no different. The candle was nearly burned down now, leaving a wax mess on the frosting. Slowly Sam forced himself to sit up straight in order to blow out the candle. His vision blurred a little then cleared, a few silent tears creeping down his cheeks. Another year without Dean.

“What are you doing, Daddy? Who’s the birthday cake for?”

Sam turned to find his eight-year-old son, Dean, standing in the dining room, eyeing the cake curiously. Sam smiled at his son’s questions. His son seemed to be a kid who was cognizant of people’s feelings, one of Sam’s own qualities. He didn’t know if it had been taught to him or if it was just innate, but Dean just sensed when something was going on. “See that picture up there?” Sam said, pointing to the large portrait of John, Mary, Dean and Sam. He aimed his finger directly at Dean. “It’s for your uncle Dean. Today is his birthday.”

“Uncle Dean is in heaven, right?”

Even after all this time, it hurt to talk about Dean. But then Sam remembered the lessons from his mom – that shared pain was lessened pain. “I hope so. He deserves it. Your uncle Dean was one of the best people in the world. I wish you would have been able to know him.” Dean was a hero, had died a hero, and someone needed to know that and carry on his memory. Sam motioned for his son to climb up on his lap. “He loved classic rock. We used to drive around in the Impala, that big black car in the garage? We’d drive all over the place and he would always have the radio on. You know the music I listen to sometimes, the stuff you don’t really like? That was what he used to listen to. I listen to it because it reminds me of him.”

“Do you miss him?” There was that empathy again.

Sam had to smile again as he fought back tears. “All the time. He was my big brother. He always watched out for me and took care of me. Someday, when you’re older, I’ll tell you about the things we used to do.” Sam picked up the knife he had laid out to cut the cake. “Would you like a piece?”

Dean nodded enthusiastically – who didn’t like birthday cake, even when it wasn’t your birthday? “Yes please.”

Sam had to chuckle. While his Dean never would have said please because it had just been understood between the brothers, his son reminded him of his brother in many other ways. He had Dean’s determination, his laugh and although he hadn’t perfected it yet, he was beginning to develop Dean’s smirk. After they had eaten the cake, Sam told his son it was time for bed. They went through their usual nightly routine, which included Sam telling Dean a story, usually a sanitized version of one of their exploits. He never used their names, though, always pseudonyms. His son didn’t need to know these things were real, at least not yet. There’d be plenty of time for that later.

Once Dean was squared away, Sam climbed into bed, at first by himself. Shortly after he lay down, the bed dipped down on the other side. Two smaller hands rubbed his shoulders tenderly. “Are you alright, babe?” Sam nodded and caught her hand in his. “I will be.”

Today had felt right, between the cake and talking about his brother to his son. He couldn’t wait to tell Dean more about his uncle as he grew up. If he was lucky, his son would be as good a man as his brother had been. He turned to press a kiss on the forehead of the woman he loved and drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: I firmly believe (and I may get some hate on this) that Sam’s wife was Eileen and they just couldn’t get Shoshanna up for the finale because of COVID. But I didn’t use Eileen’s name because in canon, it’s not mentioned.


End file.
